Frank Pulli
Encyclopedia
Frank Victor Pulli is a retired baseball
umpire
, working in the National League
from 1972 until 1999. During his career, he officiated in four World Series
(1978
, 1983
, 1990
(crew chief), and 1995
), six National League Championship Series
(1975
, 1979
, 1986
, 1991
, 1993
, and 1997
), four National League Division Series
(1981
, 1995
, 1996
and 1998
), and two All-Star games (1977
and 1988
--crew chief). He also officated in the April 8, 1974 game in which Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth
's home run
record.
Pulli wore uniform number 14 during his career.
outfielder Lou Pinella hit a low line drive to shortstop. Los Angeles Dodgers
shortstop Bill Russell
dropped the ball momentarily (not ruled a catch by second base umpire Joe Brinkman
), then flipped it to second baseman Davey Lopes
, but Lopes' throw to first caromed off the leg of Reggie Jackson
, standing in the baseline between first and second, and went behind first base. Thurman Munson
scored (in part due to Steve Garvey
stopping to argue before chasing the ball down) to make it a 3-2 game, but Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda
immediately argued that Jackson should have been called out for interference. Pulli (umpiring at first base) maintained that Jackson did not "intentionally" interfere with the throw (despite Jackson ever-so-slightly shifting his leg to cause the ball to hit it) and the play stood. The Yankees went on to win Game 5, 4-3 in 10 innings, then the series in Game 6.
in a game. In 1999, the Marlins were hosting the Cardinals when Pulli used Instant Replay to review a home run call he had made. The Marlins' Cliff Floyd had hit a ball to the top of the left field scoreboard, near the yellow line that separated in- from out-of-play. Originally ruled a home run, NL Umpire Frank Pulli reversed the call to a double, after consulting a dugout TV monitor. The Cardinals won the game, 5-2. After the game, the NL League Office declared the umpires erred in using Instant Replay. MLB would not use Instant Replay
again for almost a decade.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
, working in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
from 1972 until 1999. During his career, he officiated in four World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
(1978
1978 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 10, 1978 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CaliforniaWith Yankee ace Ron Guidry unavailable at least until Game 3, the Dodgers pounded twenty-game winner Ed Figueroa. Figueroa left after two innings, allowing home runs to Dusty Baker and Davey Lopes. Lopes would add a...
, 1983
1983 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 11, 1983 at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, MarylandJohn Denver, whose Thank God I'm a Country Boy was played at the seventh-inning stretch of each Orioles home game, sang the National Anthem prior to this game....
, 1990
1990 World Series
- Game 1 :Tuesday, October 16, 1990 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioUntil , this was the last World Series to be scheduled to begin play on a Tuesday, and the first since . The schedule called for the seven-game series to be held Tue–Wed, Fri–Sat–Sun, Tue–Wed. Games 5, 6, and 7, however...
(crew chief), and 1995
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
), six National League Championship Series
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
(1975
1975 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 4, 1975 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioThe Reds cuffed four Pirate hurlers for 11 hits in the opener, breezing to an 8–3 triumph...
, 1979
1979 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 2, 1979 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, OhioBoth sides threw their aces in Game 1 as fourteen-game winner John Candelaria started for the Pirates, and Tom Seaver started for the Reds. After Omar Moreno grounded out to start the game, a 45-minute rain delay stalled the...
, 1986
1986 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 8, 1986 at Astrodome in Houston, TexasGame 1 featured a pitching duel between eventual NLCS Most Valuable Player Mike Scott and Dwight Gooden. Scott allowed just five hits and walked one while striking out 14 in a complete-game effort as the host Astros prevailed 1–0...
, 1991
1991 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1991 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaThe Pirates proved they would be tough to eliminate early when they stifled the Braves offense behind 1990 Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek and won the first game 5–1...
, 1993
1993 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 6, 1993 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaCurt Schilling began the series spectacularly by striking out the first five hitters he faced. The game would be back and forth and low-scoring. A wild-pitch by Atlanta starter Steve Avery allowed Philadelphia to a...
, and 1997
1997 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 7, 1997 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Marlins scored three unearned runs in the first inning off Greg Maddux, thanks to a Fred McGriff error, when Moisés Alou hit a bases-clearing double to left...
), four National League Division Series
National League Division Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series determine which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series...
(1981
1981 National League Division Series
-Philadelphia Phillies vs. Montreal Expos:-Game 1, October 6:Astrodome in Houston, TexasFernando Valenzuela faced Nolan Ryan, a matchup worthy of a pitcher's duel. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth. Tony Scott singled home Terry Puhl to score the game's first run, but Steve...
, 1995
1995 National League Division Series
-Cincinnati Reds vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 3:Coors Field in Denver, ColoradoGame 1 was a match-up between aces: Greg Maddux for the Atlanta Braves and Kevin Ritz for the Colorado Rockies. Ritz and Maddux worked their way out of minor trouble early on, but, in the top of the third,...
, 1996
1996 National League Division Series
-Atlanta Braves vs. Los Angeles Dodgers:-Game 1, October 1:Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Cardinals and Padres began their rivalry in this series. The Cardinals' first of three postseason victories against the Padres took place here. Their dominance is overwhelming to the tune of only one...
and 1998
1998 National League Division Series
-Houston Astros vs. San Diego Padres:-Game 1, September 30:Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Braves faced the Chicago Cubs, who made it into the playoffs by beating the San Francisco Giants in a tiebreaker for the Wild Card spot. The Braves had sixteen more regular season wins and it showed in...
), and two All-Star games (1977
1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1977 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 48th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 19, 1977, at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, New York the...
and 1988
1988 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1988 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 59th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 12, 1988 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, the home of...
--crew chief). He also officated in the April 8, 1974 game in which Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
's home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
record.
Pulli wore uniform number 14 during his career.
1978 World Series
Pulli was involved in a controversial play in Game 5 of the 1978 World Series. In the 6th inning, New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
outfielder Lou Pinella hit a low line drive to shortstop. Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
shortstop Bill Russell
Bill Russell (baseball)
William Ellis Russell is a former shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. Russell played his entire 18-year, 2,181-game career with the Los Angeles Dodgers as the starting shortstop for four National League pennant winners and one World Series champion...
dropped the ball momentarily (not ruled a catch by second base umpire Joe Brinkman
Joe Brinkman
Joseph Norbert Brinkman is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1973 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement during the 2006 season....
), then flipped it to second baseman Davey Lopes
Davey Lopes
David Earle Lopes is a former second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. He is currently the first base coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He is of Cape Verdean descent.-Playing:...
, but Lopes' throw to first caromed off the leg of Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
, standing in the baseline between first and second, and went behind first base. Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson
Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...
scored (in part due to Steve Garvey
Steve Garvey
Steven Patrick Garvey , nicknamed "Mr. Clean" because of the squeaky clean image he held throughout his career in baseball, is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and current Southern California businessman...
stopping to argue before chasing the ball down) to make it a 3-2 game, but Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda
Tommy Lasorda
Thomas Charles Lasorda is a former Major League baseball player and manager. marked his sixth decade in one capacity or another with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers organization, the longest non-continuous tenure anyone has had with the team, edging Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully...
immediately argued that Jackson should have been called out for interference. Pulli (umpiring at first base) maintained that Jackson did not "intentionally" interfere with the throw (despite Jackson ever-so-slightly shifting his leg to cause the ball to hit it) and the play stood. The Yankees went on to win Game 5, 4-3 in 10 innings, then the series in Game 6.
Instant Replay
Pulli was the first AL, NL, or MLB umpire to use Instant ReplayInstant Replay
Instant replay is the process of replaying previously occurred events through the use of video technology.Instant replay may also refer to:*Instant replay in American football*Instant Replay , 1969...
in a game. In 1999, the Marlins were hosting the Cardinals when Pulli used Instant Replay to review a home run call he had made. The Marlins' Cliff Floyd had hit a ball to the top of the left field scoreboard, near the yellow line that separated in- from out-of-play. Originally ruled a home run, NL Umpire Frank Pulli reversed the call to a double, after consulting a dugout TV monitor. The Cardinals won the game, 5-2. After the game, the NL League Office declared the umpires erred in using Instant Replay. MLB would not use Instant Replay
Instant Replay
Instant replay is the process of replaying previously occurred events through the use of video technology.Instant replay may also refer to:*Instant replay in American football*Instant Replay , 1969...
again for almost a decade.